Father Nox
by spontaneoushazel
Summary: Finally she made it, her breathing heavy and her chest almost vibrating from her heart's frantic beating. She was out of Canalave City, no longer breathing it's suffocating air, no longer hearing the man's screaming, his warning. 'Don't be afraid to be scared of the dark.'
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: The Man's Warning**

_Canalave City, the quaint home of historical nostalgia, welcomes you._

Well that's what the brochure said anyway; however, May got the feeling that this this place was not much of a home to anyone anymore. Even with the wind blowing, the air was stiff, suffocating even. The sea breeze added no refreshing feel and the city itself just seemed so empty. The docks, supposedly full of vivacious sailors and their beloved vessels, were unoccupied save for a single boat. May felt that she could scream at the top of her lungs and no one would be around to hear her.

This was May's third visit to Sinnoh. The first being when she had come to compete in a contest and meet up with her old friends, as well as some new ones. The second time was to watch and cheer on her little brother, Max, in his second ever Pokemon League Challenge. It had always been a very relaxing place, but this city had the hairs on her body standing straight up.

"What a warm welcome, Sinnoh," she mumbled.

Behind her, a gruff, masculine voice replied, "Not what you were expecting, huh?"

With a frightened jump and a swift turn toward the voice, May gasped, holding her brochure out as if it was a sword. An older, well built man with brown-purple hair stared back at her, and then at her make-shift weapon, with wide, tired eyes. Then he let out a hardy laugh. It relaxed May a little; somehow laughter and this eerie city did not appear to go hand in hand.

"That brochure you have in your hand, let me see that," he ordered, holding his hand out. Something about him was familiar- not familiar in the sense that she had met him before but in the the sense that he reminded her of someone, of a father- her father, Norman.

They had the same towering, intimidating stance. Like Norman, he had this powerful air about him, that makes you afraid to challenge him,makes you want to stand up and fight with him, but also makes you want to strive to surpass him. And despite his gruff exterior, he felt like someone she would be safe with. She could tell he was someone people looked up to, and relied on when things got tough. He also had an unyielding stubbornness to him. Yes, this man was fatherly, in all senses of the word.

He cleared his throat. "Miss?"

May gave him and awkward smile, "Oh, sorry sir. You just...reminded me of someone, someone who means a lot to me."

The bearded man gave her a warm smile, "I get that a lot," he said, then pointed to the pamphlet, "Now, miss, the brochure. May I see it?" he asked again, but instead of waiting for her to give it to him, he simply took it out of her hand. May wanted to think it was rude, but she could tell that being impolite was not his intention.

Something sad emitted from him as he read the paragraphs smothered in imagery intended to attract tourists, as his calloused thumb traced over the beautiful photographs. "Seeing her the way she is now, its hard to believe that the city we're standing in used to mirror the one in this here brochure- beautiful and strong as the steel foundations its built upon." A morbid chuckle escaped him, "'A quiet, historical welcome sign to the Sinnoh Region,' indeed she was."

_Was? _What had happened to change that? She opened her mouth to speak but before she could ask the man any questions he handed back the brochure and put a hand on her shoulder. "Good day, lass. Travel safe. I know you irritating young, stubborn folk don't like to listen to old geezers like me, but just do me a favor and don't stay out too late, and..." There was something else he wanted to say but he held back.

And then his whole demeanor had changed. The man who seconds before had been a strong, unyielding man, now seemed so easily defeated. May was not sure if it was even the same man _at all_. He seemed almost frightened, as if another word out of his mouth would be the end for him. His eyes were searching, looking up, down, everywhere. It was almost like...

It was almost like this man though the _city_ was listening.

His grip on her shoulder tightened, and May grimaced, trying to pull away. "Um, I'm sorry I have to go! I have someone waiting for me! Sir," she grabbed his hand, trying to pry him it off of her shoulder, "_please_! You're hurting me!"

But instead of letting May go, he leaned in, his breath hot and uneven against her neck. He whispered something into her ear, and then started to shake. May was now crying out of fear, and begging him to let her go but she was not talking to the same man who had welcomed her, who had reminded her of her father. She was talking to a man who's eyes were blank and body still, who just kept squeezing her shoulder, harder and harder and harder and-

"_Let me go!_"

The man jumped and his eyes returned to focus, focused on her. His hand relaxed, instantly unhanding her and she backed away from him.

Then she ran. She ran past the gym, past the library, past all the signs welcoming her to the '_City Of Iron Will_'.

She was halfway across a bridge when she heard his voice calling after her. "_Miss! Miss, please wait!"_ His voice was achingly desperate. Faster she ran. Her hand clutching Blaziken's pokeball. Something was wrong in this city, and she wanted to leave as quickly as possible. The city's exit was in sight and she ran even faster, afraid that if she wasted any time getting out of there some force would pull her back.

The man was still yelling after her, repeating the same phrase he had whispered to her over and over. It was echoing across the city walls and all the houses. It was echoing inside of her as well.

Finally she made it, her breathing heavy and her chest almost vibrating from her heart's frantic beating. She was out of Canalave City, no longer breathing it's suffocating air, no longer hearing the man's screaming...his warning.

_Don't be afraid to be scared of the dark._

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**I'd really appreciate reviews. I mean, obviously you don't have to, but I'd really appreciate it. So please, review.  
this story will be rated M in later chapters. I'll be sure to let you know when they are coming up. When that time comes I may change the rating depending on if I see fit.  
**I'm hoping this story will be very dark, but also have that lightness that pokemon journeys have. I'm hoping it will be 15-20 chapters too, but who knows.  
The upcoming chapters will be longer than this too, I just really wanted to end this chapter with his warning.  
Some new characters will be introduced in the next chapter.  
Hopefully you all figured out who the man was in this chapter.  
**thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Apartment 490**

Being in Jublife City made Canalave feel like nothing but a foggy memory. She could barely believe the two cities were so close to one another. Leaving Canalave City felt like awaking from a nightmare, whereas Jublife felt opposite of that. Jublife felt like a dream. It was full of bright lights and bright people, and most importantly it was full of life. It was the Sinnoh Region she remembered!

But why had Canalave City been so different, so incompatible? According to that man, it had not always been like that and had even been the city portrayed in the brochure.

So why had it been so dead? So grave and eerie? May had never been in a place that felt so completely empty. Furthermore, save the old man, and possibly a couple other stragglers, Canalave seemed abandoned. Where had everyone disappeared to? What had happened to drive away all the inhabitants? When the man was speaking to her, he had been _scared_ of something, but what? No one else had been around.

_'Don't be afraid to be scared of the dark.'_

Recalling his last words to her, May shivered. Why had he gone from being such a strong man to a creepy one who gives out cryptic messages? And what did it mean anyway? It sounded like a warning of some kind but...

May took a deep breath. _Whatever. It's done now. That guy is probably crazy anyway. Right now I need to focus on finding Karla. _

Karla Maple, an ambitious trainer to be, was May's younger cousin. They had been close as kids, but after Karla's mother died Karla and her father moved to the Sinnoh region to live closer to the mother's family. May and Karla saw each other every now and then, but not nearly as much as they were used to. But when Karla's father finally decided to let her go on a long awaited journey, the two saw it as a chance to become close again, resulting in May ending up in Sinnoh, where she would compete in contests while mentoring Karla on her adventure.

But before any of that, she had to actually _find_ Karla.

After wandering around the apartment complexes for a third time, May thought she may be lost. After the fifth time, she knew it.

May could practically her what Drew would would have said if he had been around. He would have made some joke about her below average sense of direction, and then lead them right where they needed to be with ease. In fact, he probably would have already known the location of the apartment building, but kept quiet because he liked being an asshole like that.

May missed him.

It had been six months since she saw him last, which had been at the Unova Grand Festival. She had no idea where he was or what he was up to, which was odd. Usually they stayed in touch. There had even been times when the two would talk everyday, but now he didn't even return her calls. At first she was angry, after all they were supposed to be best friends, but eventually anger turned to concern and sadness.

Mew, he _better_ have a good explanation.

"Ma'am, is everything alright?"

May was shocked to have her thoughts disrupted. In front of her stood a tall, chocolate skinned boy with raised eyebrows. He did not look much younger than her, and his Sinnoh accent was much stronger than some others she had heard before.

May straightened her back, "Um, yes! I'm totally fine!" The boy did not looked convinced. "Well, actually no, I'm not totally fine. I'm kind of lost?"

Laughing at her, the boy shook his head, "Well anyone can see that! You've done walked around these here apartments 'bout ten times. If it weren't so darn obvious you weren't from around these parts," he gestured at her attire, "I woulda thought you were a burglar with the way you eyein' the area!" The boy chuckled and then stuck out his hand, greeting May with a wide, perfect teeth smile. "My name's Tate. What's yours?"

May took his hand, not prepared for the heavy set hand shake that followed, "I'm May."

"Pretty name for a pretty lil' lady! Where ya from, Miss May? Unova?" Whenever he said her name, his mouth formed a giant smile. May couldn't help but feel that it was contagious.

"Hoenn, actually. But I travel a lot."

Tate whistled, "Well I'll be! I gotta friend from Hoenn! Wouldn't be surprised if the two of ya knew one another! haha! Just kiddin'. What're the odds of that?" This boy, Tate, was probably the most easy going person May had ever met. "What ya looking for, Miss May? I'd love to give ya a hand!"

She beamed, happy that she no longer had to rely on her spotty navigation skills. "Thank you, so much! I'd love some help." She looked down at her hand, which had the information on the complex written on it. "I'm looking for building 490."

Having said that, May thought she saw Tate's smile falter for a moment, but he was all smiled again in the blink of an eye! "Yeah! I can help ya get there. Follow me, Miss May!" he quickly turned and started walking in a direction May had unintentionally neglected in her search. _Of_ _course. _

The two continued to engage in small talk as they walked, but May noticed that Tate was growing exceedingly tense the further they walked. He even looked over his shoulder a few times. Something had this boy on edge. Without thinking, May grabbed his arm.

"Tate, wait. Are you okay? You seem a little...nervous?" she looked up at him so their eyes met. His face bore no smile, only an expression full of fierce gravity, yet that grave countenance disappeared so swiftly, it was hard for May to believe it was ever even there.

"Don't worry 'bout me, Miss May," he said, giving her a light-hearted thumbs up, "I just had a tiny disagreement with a friend of mine yesterday, the one I mentioned earlier, and I ain't really ready to see her just yet. I _sorta_ made her cry and I feel real bad, but I ain't 'bout to apologize for what I said, ya know? I mean't it, damn it all!" He scratched the back of his head in frustration. May could tell that whoever this friend of his was, he cared about her a lot. "I mean, get this, Miss May! I just try to be a good friend and she goes and-"

An apartment building door busted open, "May!"

A girl with long auburn hair pulled into an all too familiar ponytail ran into May's arms. "May! You're here! I've been waiting by the window forever! I was there just watching and waiting and watching and waiting and _watching_ but then I saw you and I was so happy because now YOU'RE HERE! And I know I'm talking too much but I'm just so excited and happy and-" she hugged May tighter, "I really missed you, May."

"_Oh_, so this is the cousin you couldn't stop yammerin' on about! I can't believe I didn't figure that out. You must a said her name at least a dozen times!" Tate laughed, although May could sense an awkwardness that had not been there prior to Karla joining them.

_She must be the friend he was talking about. Hmm, interesting._

Karla pulled away from May and gave Tate an angry look, "It's not like you ever listen to anything I say_ anyway_, Tate. What are doing with May, anyway? You aren't flirting with her are you? Gross! She's _way_ too old for you!" she teased, grinning up at him as she poked him square in the chest, "besides, May already has a boyfriend. His name's Drew and you couldn't even _dream_ of comparing!"

May choked, "Karla, um, Drew isn't my-"

Tate's loud, mocking laughter drowned out May's protest, "Hah! Whatcha know 'bout boyfriends, Kar? Ain't ya only like eleven or somethin'?"

Karla shoved Tate's shoulder in respone, "You _know_ I'm thirteen, you jerk! Only two years younger than _you_!"

Tate raised an eyebrow, and smirking down at his friend. Any sort of awkwardness he felt was gone now. "A lot can happen in two years, Kar. I've got loads more life experience than ya."

Karla's arms were now folded across her chest, and she wore a wicked expression, "You still can't get a girlfriend though!'

"_Why ya little-_" Tate lunged for Karla, who was simultaneously laughing and screaming. "Ya better take that back, Kar!" he warned, picking her up and tossing her over he shoulders, "I'll run down to route 203 and toss ya in that muddy ol' lake! Ya know I will!"

"I'm glad to see the two of you are getting along again."

Karla's shrieks and Tate's laughter ceased, and a middle-aged man with grey hair and grey eyes made his way over to the three of them. May recognized him immediately. "Uncle Vincent!" she shouted happily, before jumping into a hug. "Uncle Vincent, how are you?!"

"May, my how you've grown. I didn't think you'd be so tall. I haven't seen you since you were, what? Twelve? Now you're eighteen and all grown up. My, these things happen too fast." Vincent looked over at his daughter and pulled her into the hug as well, "My little girl best not age so fast! I only have the one! My lucky brother, to have three children! A new baby even! How is little Marcie doing? Is she speaking yet?"

May laughed. "Yup! I'm jealous, though! Her first word was 'Mats'! She knows Max's name and not mine!"

Marcie was May's new baby sister, only seven months old. She had darker hair like her father and her brother, but blue eyes like May. She was beautiful, not to mention a complete surprise! May did not even believe Norman at first when he confessed that Caroline was pregnant, but after about nine months, out comes Marcie!

Karla wrapped her arms around her father's. "Dad! Dad! Now that May's here, can we..." Karla gave May a secretive look proceeded to whisper into Vincent's ear. He let out a hardy laugh. "I'm sorry, Karla, but I wasn't expecting her to get here this early. I'm afraid It's not prepared yet."

Karla groaned. "Daaaaaaad!"

Vincent ruffled her hair, "Now, now. Enough whining," he turned his attention to May, "May, how about you take the next hour to look around Jublife? Karla told me you'll be competing in the contest next week. Now would be a good time to go register."

Karla grinned. "Oh, what a _splendid_ idea, dad," she walked over to May and started pushing her back towards Tate. "Okay, May! See you in no less than an hour! Tate can show you where the Contest Hall is!"

Tate gave May a wink, "I'd be honored." May heard Karla gag. If Tate heard, he ignored it.

The four of them parted ways and May was being led around Jublife once again.

"Golly, that girl... She always got somethin' up her sleeve. And her dad ain't any better! Though, ya probably know all this seein' as you're kin and all." Tate said, any trace of tenseness gone. "She really loves ya, Miss May. Couldn't stop talking about ya for weeks! Almost everything she said was about ya, and how she couldn't wait to travel by your side! Told me ya are quite the coordinator, and that she hopes to learn a lot from ya." Tate paused and took her hand in his, "Although I too hope to learn a lot from ya, Miss May," he said, lifting her hand to hips lips and gently kissing it.

May could feel herself turning pink. "T-thank you, Tate." _Wow, are a lot of people in Sinnoh like this?_

May was somewhat relieved when they arrived at the Contest Hall. She did not know if she could handle anymore of Tate's flirting. She thanked him for his assistance. She felt at home the moment she stepped inside, surrounded by other coordinators and their pokemon, listening to them talk appeal strategy. This kind of surrounding always relaxed her so she didn't mind that the line for Sinnoh Contest Pass registration was a long one.

"_Another kid? How many does that make now?"_

"_Ten! And it's the second one this month!"_

May's ears perked up as the two women behind her gossiped.

_"Is it another child from Canalave?"_

May's heart stopped. Canalave?

_"I wish! I heard this one is from Oreburgh!"_

_"So it isn't just happening to the children from Canalave City..."_

May couldn't stop shaking. What exactly was happening to children? And what did it have to do with Canalave? Maybe she could get some answers from these ladies. Surely they wouldn't mind cluing her in. She turned around slowly, wanting to look casual. "Excuse me, what exactly-"

But before she could even finish her question, the shrill sounds of excited teenage girls echoed throughout the Contest Hall.

"It's him! It's Drew Hayden from the Hoenn Region!"

Once again, May's heart stopped. Surely it couldn't be...

But sure enough, when she followed the eyes of many adolescent teens, there he was. _Drew. _He looked the same as he had six months ago, give or take a haircut or two. He had his trusted partner, Roserade, by his side, he had on typical Drew get up: jeans, a t-shirt, and some sort of jacket, and he had his hands in his pockets. But the thing that caught her attention the most about him was the fact that he was looking directly at her.

* * *

**Please Review! Criticism as well as praise is appreciated!  
will be rated M in later chapters.  
****thank you for reading! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: What a Reunion!**

"You have one minute to explain why you haven't been returning my calls or Mew, help me, I'll-"

A flash and the sound of a camera cut may off. As she turned around, May realized she had started quite the scene...right in the middle of the Contest Hall. About every person was staring at her in astonishment, as if she were a lunatic. Well, everyone except Drew, who's collar was firmly in her grasp. He just stared at her, his face frozen in the same stare he was wearing when she first saw him.

Then he started to laugh.

"Could you let go of my collar please. You're starting to put the 'May' in maniac."

Letting go of him, May did not know what to say, so she said nothing, simply stood beside him and waited in line until it was her turn. What was only around ten minutes felt like an hour, and she was mentally exhausted by the time she was registered. Of all the things that could have happened, she didn't see this coming. Even after all the times she had had fantasized about their inevitable meeting, and the new one she was going to rip him, she managed to be completely silent, her tongue limp.

She wanted to curse him out, to vent. She wanted answers, so many answers.

_Why did you drop off the face of the earth? __Where have you been? Why are you just standing there acting like everything's fine?_

_...Does it have anything to do with Nimbasa?_

She wasn't sure if she wanted the last one answered.

"You okay, May?"

Baffled, she glared at him. What kind of stupid question was that? Was he really such a bone head? Surely he had never been so dense? Right? _Right? _He couldnot really be serious.

The familiar chime of a sing song voice caught her attention. "Oh! Oh! Ohhhh! _What_ do we have _he~re_?"

_Oh, no._

Was that a flash of purple or was it just her imagination? Dread crept through her.

_Dear Mew, no._

"Oh, May! It's been just too long, dear! Simply _too long_!"

Baring herself, May smiled awkwardly up at her fellow competitor, his trade mark Cacturne style get up as chic as ever. "Hello, Harley. I didn't expect to see you here." He was the last person she wanted to see, but she didn't add that.

Harley pulled her into a bear hug, crushing her while he spun, making her dizzy and out of breath. "Well, duh, May! I _have_ to follow my rival or else I'd grow bored. So when Soli told me that you were going to Sinnoh I bought a ticket _instantly_!" May was relieved when he finally released her from his enthusiastic grasp. "And then guess who I ran into on the boat! None other than Mr. Hayden himself! And guess what?" Suddenly, Drew found himself in one of Harley's uncomfortable huddles. Drew groaned in protest but Harley either didn't care or was too busy talking to notice, "_Roommates_! And wow, May, I never would have guessed Drew was such a messy man. Tsk tsk, leaving his bed unmade and his boxer shorts laying all about-"

Drew broke away from the prison that was Harley's arms and moaned, more than slightly agitated. "Dammit, could you shut up?"

Harley waved his hand around in nonchalance. "Oh, come now, Drew. Don't be so timid. We all know May knows those living habits of yours better than _anyone_."

May blushed, her red face doing all it could to not face Drew. Because of that, she did not see his flushed cheeks either.

_Harley knows. How does he know?_

She swiftly changed the subject. "So you spoke to Solidad? Did she tell you that we won't be traveling together this time around?" May wanted to see Drew's reaction to that. She was glad he was perplexed, glad he was out of the loop.

Harley opened his mouth to reply but Drew didn't give him the chance. "So you'll be traveling alone? That seems dangerous-"

"_Actually_ I'm not, Drew. And you would know that if you had taken some time to maybe, I dunno, talk to me." Her tone was venomous, her eyes cold. She wanted him to know she was mad, in case he hadn't gotten the point earlier when she violently confronted him. (Which he surely had) Their eyes collided, his face coated with faux indifference, but she could tell her words stung. She she dared him to have the nerve to question her further, as if he had the right.

Their little moment of silence was interrupted by catty hissing noises. Harley's. "Whoa, how _awwwkward_. You two love-birds seem to be plucking each other's feathers!"

The two rival coordinators rolled their eyes, too on edge to be embarrassed by Harley's teasing. May huffed, narrowing her eyes at Drew. "So Sinnoh, huh? A few years back I recall you saying you couldn't stand the place. Have a change of heart?"

Drew opened his mouth but no words came out.

Harley, as usual, decided to pitch in. "More like he had to _follow_ his heart! Soli told me that once she told him you were going to be here, May, he simply couldn't help but come too! Oh ho ho."

A tiny, bitter lump formed in May's throat. "You spoke to Solidad? When?" _Hadn't he been shutting everyone out? _

Drew shrugged. Why he was putting up such uncaring act was beyond May. Anyone with eyes could tell he was uncomfortable. "Since we left Unova."

A stabbing sensation punctured May's chest. "Huh." She wanted to bite her tongue, to hold back her words.

She didn't.

"Well I'm glad to know you put effort to only ignore me." She spat, adding insincere laughs, if you could even call them that. She severely wanted out of the conversation now. She didn't want either of them to see how hurt she was. She felt pathetic, and May knew by now that she was no good at hiding how she felt. She really needed a way out.

"May-" Drew hesitated, his face baring a strange, almost sad, expression, "May, I-"

A strong Sinnoh accent called out her name and before May knew it, Tate was next to her with his arm draped casually around her shoulders. "Miss May, I hope you're all done here 'cause Karla's gettin' real jittery. She sent me down here to hurry ya up and take ya home. That girl ain't a patient one." His presence had relief pulsing through her.

May nodded up at him, trying to shake away her uneasiness. "Yeah, um, I just finished here."

"What can I say? I got impeccable timin'."

While she did agree, she couldn't deny the annoying voice in her head that wished she could have heard what Drew was going to say moments ago. Also there was dismissing how much she had missed him. She wanted to talk to him like they used to: about contests, about coordinators, about pokemon, about anything and everything. But she knew they could not do that, not really. He still owed her an explanation.

She looked over at Drew to see if he would finish his sentence, but his earlier expression was gone, like it was never even there. Instead he stared at ceiling, looking bored.

_Ugh. What the hell is going on in that stupid green covered head of his?_

Harley's voice carried May out of her thoughts. "Oh my. Who's your friend, May? He's quite the cowboy." he cooed, and Tate put on a giant grin, but there was something forced about it. It was not the contagious one he had shown her earlier.

"Aw, shucks! My bad, Miss May. I didn't realize you were in the middle of somethin'!" but May knew by the way he was looking at her that he had definitely realized. He had noticed her in that tense situation and decided to come to her aid. He was kind. It made May happy to know Karla had a friend like him.

"Excuse me for interruptin'. The name's Tate. How do ya do?" He held out a hand getting a cordial handshake from Harley but nothing but a offhand nod from Drew, who's eyes lingered a little too long on the boy's arm around her. He didn't like it, and for some twisted reason, Drew's vexation brought her satisfaction.

"Drew, don't be so rude! This boy is a friend of May's! And _any_ friend of May should be a friend of ours!"

May wanted to vomit at Harley's hollow words of friendship. Sure, things were better than they used to be between them. Arceus, sometimes May even looked up to him, but Harley was still a manipulative man who was never to be taken lightly. He said one thing and meant something else. He could try to butter her up all he wanted, for as long as he wanted, but it changed nothing. He would never be May's friend.

Tate quickly glanced at May, flaunting a mischievous smirk. "_Drew." _He said Drew's name like he had just solved a crime, and looked back and forth knowingly between the two young coordinators. May wanted to hide her face in her hands. "Ya hostility makes a whole lot more sense now." Tate pulled May closer and she felt him laugh silently. He was getting a kick out of this.

Drew put his hands in his pockets, a habit May recognized by now. It was the kind of thing she saw him do when she made stupid mistakes at contests, or when they got in arguments. It was same gesture he made that night in Nimbasa, before he left. "You two seem close." he voiced, staring at Tate's hand, which was now intentionally playing with May's hair. Tate was totally toying with Drew, and May was just letting him. In fact, she wanted it. She did not care if she was being a brat.

She leaned in closer to him.

Tate smiled. "To think we just met today! Miss May here got herself all lost tryin' to find where she was goin'. Luckily, I was there to help her out. I like to think it was fate."

Harley snickered.

"Well," May was rather abrupt, "Tate and I better get going. It was nice seeing you though." She gave them a wave and a smile, which Harley gladly returned. She waited for something -anything- from Drew. He just kept his hands in his pockets. He didn't even acknowledge her.

_Fine, asshole._

May wanted to kick him.

But she also wanted to cry a little.

"Come on, Tate," she muttered, her voice cracking. For some reason Harley was grinning. "A certain person here is being a big _jerk_." She added loudly.

It got Drew to finally speak, "And you're being immature," he paused, scowling, "buts what's new?" There was so much poison is his voice.

With that, May felt like a tidal wave had hit her. That was a tone he had never used with her, not even when they got into vicious fights. _Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry._

She started crying.

Harley was the one who jumped in. "Wow!" he proclaimed, "What a reunion!" May didn't appreciate the sarcasm.

She turned, turning her back on Drew. "Fuck you."

Those were the last words she said to him before she rushed out of the building. Tate followed behind her.

"Ya alright, May?" he asked, dropping the usual prefix. "I'm real sorry that happened. I shouldn't have done all that stuff to bother ya boyfriend like that. It's my fault. I can go and apologize right now if ya want."

Drew was not her boyfriend, but May did not have the energy or will to correct him, so instead she just shrugged, and sighed. Her eyes were starting to dry, but she did not feel any better. "I enabled you. In the end, I really was just being immature like he said."

She wanted to stuff her face with chocolate and drown her woes in it.

Tate rested his hand on her shoulder. It was a relaxing, comforting gesture, "And he was bein' a big ol' jerk, just like _you_ said. Sometimes people can't help but act some ways. You ain't perfect." While his words made sense, May's self shame was still blocking them from sinking in.

"First Canalave City, and now this? I am just starting this week out _great, _aren't I_?_"

The instant she mentioned Canalave, Tate's grip on her shoulder harshly tightened. "Wait- You were in-" he yanked her around forcefully so they were face to face. His face was that of a statue frozen in fear. "Why in the hell were ya in Canalave?! Are ya crazy?!"

May's shoulder stung beneath his fingers. "Ow! Tate!" She tried to flinch away, but his hand didn't let go. He kept shouting.

"Miss May! Canalave is not safe! Haven't ya heard what's been goin' on in that darn city?!"

"Tate-"

"You coulda been taken under by the NOX!" His yelling became screaming, and May was in the middle of another scene. "Do ya even care what coulda happened to ya?!" He was shaking her.

"TATE!"

Her fist collided with his stomach, and he let her go.

But the pain in her shoulder was replaced with something worse: terror. And once again she was crying.

* * *

**When I was writing this the characters took complete control, especially Drew. Him and May have a bit of a rocky path to cross in the next few chapters.  
Please Review! I'd really appreciate it!  
Thanks for reading, guys.**


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